SCIENTIFIC.

Evening Star, Issue 3549, 8 July 1874, Page 3

SCIENTIFIC.

THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE. The sixth volume of the Transactions of the New for publication within a month from the present date, promises to be even more interesting to scientific readers than any of its predecessors. . The 550 pag-is of reading matter which it contains will be embellished by thirty-two lithographic illustrations, in addition to a number of woodcuts. Amongst the miscellaneous papers comprised in the list of contents are several communications upon various engineering schemes for utilising the natural resources of the country. The zoological section of the volume includes an account of the groat extinct eagle (Harpagornis). and another of the extinct goose {Cnemiornis) ; and succeeding these are several papers relative to the cetacea, and others having special reference to recent additions to the described birds and fishes of New Zealand. Entomological science is aided by the production of elaborate lists of all the insects found within the same limits; and the botanical chapters embrace lists of the algto of the Chatham Islands, and of the flora of the Province of Wellington, the latter heing accompanied by descriptions of several new plants. In chemistry, the volume contains a valuable paper upon the petroleum oils of New Zealand, and a further- report of the chemistry of the phormium plant. Geologists may derive some enlightenment from a paper upon the structure of the gold-bear-ing reefs of the Thames goldfield, the range of research being extended by a paper theorising on the formation of mountains, by others referring particularly to the glacial period in New Zealand, and by a description of the fossil rsptilia. The appendix contains a second essay by Mr Thomson on the origin of the Maori race, Captain Moresby’s interesting lecture on \ew Guinea, and a valuable paper on the botany of Tahiti. The proceedings of the bianch societies, and the opening address of the president, complete a volume the contents of which are, as already stated, more than usually interesting.—‘N. Z. Times.’ HEALTH STATISTICS. By the .Registrar-G eneral’s returns for May it appears that Auckland, with a popu lation of 12,745, had 38 births and 21 deaths; Wellington, papulation 10,496 births 38, deaths 12 ; Christchurch, population 10,282, births 38, deaths 16 ; Dunedin, population 18.505, births 61, deaths 28 The number of births registered was less in May than previously during the year. The highest number was 292 in February. The smallest previous number was 238 in March Of the total deaths, males contributed 47 ; females, 46. Thirty-five of the deaths were of children under 5 years of age, being 37'35 of the whole number. Thirty of these were of children under I year sf age. There ia a noticeable reduction in the number of deaths of children under 5 yeais within the last two months. They were, in January, 66 ; in February, 77 ; in March ; 73 ;in April, 47 (including Nelson deaths) ; in May, 35.